Friday Food News

A look at the week’s worth of news about food.

SOUTHEAST IRELAND’S CULINARY SCENE ON THE RISEViaThe New York TimesSoutheast Ireland is becoming a destination for high-end culinary experiences with Michelin-starred establishments, unique gourmet bistros and one-of-a-kind pop-up dinners around the town of Dungarvan. Tourists and locals alike are enjoying the influx of better dining options that feature international dishes as well as modern Irish fare made with local, seasonal ingredients.

At Saison in San Francisco chef and co-owner Joshua Skenes uses an open-air hearth to add a tinge of fire and smoke to every one of the dishes in his 18-course tasting menu. The Michelin three-starred restaurant features dishes such as flash-grilled lobster claw chunks drizzled with sauce made from lobster shells, and smoked ice cream made by steeping charred wood in milk.

Asian and Middle Eastern sauces and spices are infiltrating the American dining scene as chefs experiment with different flavor combinations found across the globe. Chef Kyle Bailey uses homemade gochujang, the fermented chili sauce from Korea, to flavor wild boar at Birch & Barley in Washington, D.C., while Seasons 52 Executive Chef Jim Messinger uses the sauce as a glaze for a duck wing appetizer

Move over sriracha — spicy Asian condiments such as gochujang and togarashi are the next big trend in flavor. American chefs are reaching for Korean-inspired spice blends to ramp up heat not only in Asian dishes, such as bibimbap, but in traditional U.S. favorites such as Thanksgiving turkey, roasted vegetables and even french fries.

Mondelez International is set to debut red velvet Oreos, the newest flavor of the cookies aimed at foodies and cake fans, the company said. The red Oreo cookies with cream cheese-flavored filling will be in available for six weeks or more starting early next month.

Squeezable yogurt and baby carrots flavored with ranch seasoning are among the innovative products that the Campbell Soup Company has created to attract health-conscious consumers, according to CEO Denise Morrison. The new creations are part of Morrison’s strategy to recoup slow sales of the company’s soups as fewer consumers cook and more avoid foods with high sodium. “Once upon a time you could throw a casserole in the oven and everyone would have to eat it…We’ve had to develop food products in different kinds of packaging and for different kinds of occasions,” Morrison said.

Wendy’s has pulled soda from its kids’ meal menu boards, joining chains including McDonald’s, Subway, Arby’s and Chipotle in stressing other beverages for children including milk, water and juice. Burger King said it is studying whether to pull fountain drinks from its kids’ menu as well.

Each time a patron at Rosa’s Pizza in Philadelphia pays an extra $1, the house buys a slice for a homeless person. Guests have bought about 8,400 slices of pizza for people in need since the practice started last year, and owner Mason Wartman documented each slice purchased with sticky notes on the wall until the total hit 500.